Breath, Stress, and Immunity

Breathe

Our lives begin and end with the breath and, in between these two moments of birth and death, most of us will take countless breaths but rarely give it a moment's notice.  

Joseph Pilates said, 

“Breathing is the first act of life and the last. Our very life depends on it.”

Iyengar said, 

“As breath stills our mind, our energies are free to unhook from the senses and bend inward.”

Immune systems are affected both by negative thought processes and stress. Scientists have observed that animals know how to shake off the stress of life-threatening situations by proper breathing to bring themselves back to a relaxed state.  This ability to maintain balance is an intuitive trait for both animals and humans. However, humans have suppressed this ability and have become unable to maintain the equilibrium due to the modern lifestyle, which includes unnatural living conditions, high stress, environmental pollutants, and poor quality of food. 

We are under constant siege of recurring health and emotional issues which constantly obstruct the quality of life. Stress and traumas have made us forget our instinctive selves.

Usually, the breath is the first physiological response to being affected by stress and trauma, but the change in breathing patterns is rarely noticed. Breathing has the ability to deeply calm the mind and body by bringing a sense of peace and tranquility to whatever is arising. Take some time out from your daily routine to breathe deeply and do so in a fresh, natural environment to enable the inhalation of fresh air and maximize the benefits.

Here are some of the ways healthy breathing can help to boost our immune systems

Potential Benefits:

• Helps to reduce stress responses enhancing the the parasympathetic nervous system which is the “rest, digest, and heal” response . This can lower our heart rate, our cortisol and adrenaline, and bring the immune system and other systems back into balance.

• Manages depression, anxiety, and mixed depression/anxiety

• Increases vital energy and helps the body in the constant process of self-healing and detoxifying.

• Accelerates the regeneration of tissues by helping the regenerative systems of the body to heal/regenerate.

• Improves mindfulness, and gradually improves one’s ability to manage stress, speeding up the recovery process from trauma and disease.

• Increases lung capacity, Bringing breath deeper in the lungs, potentially oxygenating the blood faster.

• May aid in loosening blockage from the sinuses

Additional ways breathing can support healthy immunity:

• The cleansing benefits of breathing through the nose can serve defensively to allow less particles to enter the respiratory tract and has been advised by breathing expert Patrick McKeown 1

• Breathing produces Nitric Oxide which is a natural anti-viral and anti-microbial agent signals the body to move into parasympathetic mode, stimulating the relaxation response.

 

Explore More in our upcoming online course or work with me one:one -- Free Consultation


  Explore Yoga Breathing 

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiwrtgWQeDc

2. Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor.

This is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.